Speaking out for the Oratorical Contest

Thursday

Feb 7, 2013 at 3:15 AM

That the Constitution of the United States is one of the world’s most important documents is beyond dispute, and scarcely a day goes by without its Articles and Amendments being referenced in major news stories. Thus, you would hope that school boards and high school faculties throughout this area would grasp the importance of ensuring students are familiar with the framework and text that ensues from “We the People...”

In addition, you might think that local educators should encourage participation by students in a nationwide contest (with many tens of thousands of dollars in prizes) that has, as its worthy goal, increasing young people’s awareness of the U.S. Constitution. We are talking, of course, (yet again) of the American Legion’s Oratorical Contest.

The American Legion’s national website explains the rationale for its annual oratorical contest as follows: “The American Legion Oratorical Contest exists to develop deeper knowledge and appreciation for the U.S. Constitution among high school students. Since 1938, the program has presented participants with an academic speaking challenge that teaches important leadership qualities, the history of our nation’s laws, the ability to think and speak clearly, and an understanding of the duties, responsibilities, rights and privileges of American citizenship...”

If the existence of this 75-year-old contest, participated in by students from every state in the union, and beyond, comes as a surprise even to fervently patriotic Americans, don’t feel bad. We asked Congressman Ron Paul, who was in Rochester during the presidential campaign, what he thought of the American Legion contest, in light of his stump speech being peppered with Constitutional references. Astonishingly, the congressman didn’t know what we were talking about.

Once more, it is Nute High School and teacher Doug Decker that are carrying the torch in northern Strafford County, and as our Page 1 story reports, three students recently did the town of Milton proud. Through their knowledge, reasoning and interpretation of the Constitution, they opined on weighty subjects like the questionable presidential practice of involving America in conflicts without Congressional approval (Article 1, Section 8), quoting examples from Reagan to Obama. As was bound to engage young minds, too, in light of mass school and college killings in Virginia Tech, Columbine and Newtown, the Second Amendment came under the microscope...all going to show that the U.S. Constitution is a vibrant document that impacts the daily lives of all citizens.

Thus, it continues to be a mystery to us why Spaulding High School authorities and Rochester School Board should not be making the American Legion’s contest available to their students, and strongly encouraging their participation. We are not sure if this is a head-in-the-sand tactic because the sponsors are perceived to be a right of center organization (hopefully this is not the reason), or whether Rochester American Legion Post 7, this year, dropped the ball (it’s possible, because of past rebuffs), after early and encouraging contact with Spaulding by National Americanism Chair Joe Caouette, who, by wondrous chance, happens to live in Strafford County.

We can safely deduce this ... if a small high school like Nute can bring forth two or three fine contestants every year, Spaulding High School, with a Jr. ROTC contingent, should be able to attract 15 to 20 contests, and we guarantee that if this oratorical contest were to be shown on cable, it would not only provide fascinating television, but would also remind thousands of viewers of the continuing relevancy of this remarkable document — the Constitution of the United States.

Perhaps public educators in Rochester need a strong nudge from parents or a community organization such as the Rochester 9-12 Group, in order to get things moving for next year’s contest. Quite frankly, we think a familiarity with the U.S. Constitution is at least as important to school students as knowing how to spell supercalifragilistic or being able to pinpoint Kyrgyzstan on a map. Check out www.legion.org/oratorical/contests.